The invention addresses problems relating to the accumulation of water at the juncture of a wall and footing of a foundation, especially in basements. This area of the foundation is susceptible to the accumulation of water on top of the footing coming in through the wall, due to external leakage resulting from hydrostatic pressure generated by excess moisture in the soil, and also from water rising up from underneath the foundation. The pressure from water pushing in on the outside of the foundation wall can be quite substantial, and contributes significantly to foundation leakage. It is therefore important to alleviate hydrostatic pressure against the foundation by draining off accumulated water that may be sitting on top of the footing at its juncture with the wall.
Another problem caused by accumulated water on top of the footing is mildew, which creates the musty odor commonly present in basements. Even though a substantial amount of standing water may be removed by prior art waterproofing methods that utilize a drainage conduit, residual moisture will still cause mildew problems. While a typical drainage conduit can effectively divert a substantial amount of water away from the area, it simply cannot by itself move water that accumulates in low areas. It is that remaining source of water that causes the mildew problems.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a method for removing water accumulating at the juncture of a foundation and wall to alleviate the hydrostatic pressure placed on the foundation. Further, it would be beneficial to provide a means for removing residual moisture from that area to minimize the creation of mildew.
By means of the instant invention there is provided a method and apparatus for conveying and draining off accumulated moisture from the top of the footing of a foundation. The invention also helps to intercept water rising up from underneath the foundation. The method comprises providing a channel beneath the floor and along the footing at the area comprising the juncture of the wall with the foundation, and placing a drainage conduit in the channel to convey water to a moisture collection reservoir away from the foundation. The drainage conduit comprises a tile having a wicking fabric wrapped around it for drawing and conveying standing moisture into and along its length for transfer to a moisture collection reservoir.
The tile of the drainage conduit preferably has a rectangular cross-sectional shape and has a low profile to provide an economy of space within the channel. A series of apertures are disposed in the sides of the tile to permit entry of water therein. The tile may be open along its bottom so as to include entry of low-lying residual moisture directly into the bottom of the tile. Likewise, the apertures are preferably configured as semi-circles, having a lower area that opens into the bottom of the tile. The wicking fabric wrapped around the tile helps to draw off residual moisture from the foundation-wall juncture as well as to intercept water rising from the area in the ground next to the footing. The fabric is constructed such that moisture travels through it by capillary action. Water is both drawn into the drainage conduit and also travels along its length through the fabric toward the area of the moisture collection reservoir, effectively making the entire outside perimeter of the drainage conduit a vehicle for conveying moisture. The drainage conduit is placed along the top of the footing adjacent the wall where the majority of moisture will accumulate. To intercept moisture as it rises from the ground, an edge of the drainage conduit is placed on the footing so as to extend over the interior shoulder of the footing. The channel and drainage conduit are extended along the footing as far as necessary to drain the desired section of foundation. A moisture collection reservoir is provided at the end of the channel and drainage conduit for removal of water from the area of the foundation.